Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is accelerating the conclusion of the Bang Na – Suvarnabhumi light rail transit project after receiving the outcome of the project’s feasibility study from the consulting firm.
Mr. Chatree Wattanakhajorn, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the BMA, presided over the opening ceremony of the seminar on the conclusion of a feasibility study conducted by a consulting firm under the project on hiring consultants to study and analyse the Bang Na – Suvarnabhumi International Airport light rail transit project. The consulting firm presented the conclusions of the feasibility study of the project as follows:
The light rail transit project, from Bang Na to Suvarnabhumi International Airport has 14 stations and connects traveling between Bangkok and Samut Prakan areas. It is equipped with automatic train operation system with maximum speed of 80 kilometres/hour. It takes about 1 hour for a round trip. The maximum achievable capacity is 15,000 to 30,000 passengers/hour.
Regarding fares, the base rate in the year that the service will be launched (2029) is 14.4 Baht and the maximum fare ceiling is 45.6 Baht. As for the forecast of passenger volume, it is expected that there will be about 82,695 passengers/direction/day taking the light rail service in the year 2029. By 2033, the number of passengers will increase to about 138,744 passengers/direction/day. After the Airports of Thailand opens the southern Suvarnabhumi station in 2035, it is expected to have 165,363 passengers/direction/day.
Following the seminar, the BMA will report the conclusions of the feasibility study and a suitable joint venture plan for the LRT project for consideration and endorsement by the Ministry of Interior. The report will then be submitted to the cabinet for its approval. It is anticipated that the LRT project will be able to launch the first phase of services by 2029.